While the Valley freezes, Arizona Cardinals are feeling the heat

When the Cardinals made successive playoff runs in 2008 and 2009, it was as if they’d discovered a secret treasure map.

All they had to do was win a very bad division, thus earning a guaranteed playoff game in Glendale, where they owned a significant home-field advantage.

From there, it’s only a few steps to the Super Bowl.

Alas, the outlook has changed dramatically. The NFC West has morphed into one of the best divisions in football. Of the four young quarterbacks that have electrified the NFL, half play in the NFC West.

To wit:

The Colts’ Andrew Luck set a rookie record for passing yardage and directed seven fourth-quarter comebacks, but made many mistakes and turnovers along the way.

The Redskins’ Robert Griffin III should win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for shouldering the heaviest load, becoming team captain in the middle of the season and committed only seven total turnovers. He set a rookie record for passer rating (102.4) before showing poor judgment in a playoff loss at home, attempting to play while seriously injured.

Russell Wilson’s ascension turned the Seahawks into a team that could have won the Super Bowl. His 26 touchdown passes tied a rookie record. Unlike Luck and RG3, he didn’t inherit the starting job. He overpowered it.

Still, here’s the biggest question coming out of a wild weekend of playoff drama: Would you take any of those quarterbacks over Colin Kaepernick, who looked other-worldly in the 49ers’ demolition of Green Bay?

While Kaepernick was not a highly-regarded draft pick, the second-year pro from Nevada is under the most pressure to perform.

He was given the job when Alex Smith was injured. He is playing in front of a veteran who was having the best season of his career, who led San Francisco to the NFC West Championship game last year. If he fails, his head coach will feel the ramifications.

Yet instead of melting in the heat, Kaepernick keeps getting better and better. He and Wilson are rising stars, and the new hood ornaments of the division. They are the primary reasons why the Cardinals better find the right head coach and quarterback for the future.

And if the Rams’ Sam Bradford ever joins the party, we’re really in trouble.

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